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UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

nections

* not a Downtown bypass

The Master Plan recommends the Broad
Street Parkway connect to Franklin
Street as well as the Millyard. This align-
ment will route through-traffic directly
across Railroad Square, thereby alleviat-
ing the cumbersome dogleg movement

that currently exists.

In addition, and equally important, 40
the Broad Street Parkway will have a
small, two-lane bridge providing direct
access to the Millyard. The bridge con-
nection will link into an extension of
Pine Street which in turn will provide
access to Downtown via Central Street.

This bridge connection will also provide

a trail crossing from one side of the
Nashua River to the other. (Additional

Broad Street
Parkway

The preferred
alternative for the
Broad Street Parkway
(left) will provide access
to redevelopment
opportunities, as well as
reduce congestion at

Railroad Square.

Recommended cross-
section (section A-A}

(top left)

Recommended cross-

section at the new

bridge (section B-B)
(top right)

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

discussion of the Broad Street Parkway is
located in the Transportation Appendix.)

Bronstein Apartments

Currently an inward facing public hous-
ing project, the Master Plan proposes a
transformation of the 48 units of public
housing into a 100-unit, mixed-income,
mixed-financed neighborhood. The ori-
entation and condition of the existing
units are such that rehabilitation or mod-
ernization will provide only marginal
improvements in the quality of life.

The Master Plan proposes extending
Palm Street, Ash Street, Vine Street, and
Chestnut Street through the Bronstein
site to an extended Myrtle Street. Four
simple, developable blocks are thus cre-
ated for medium-density housing. The
County Health and Human Services
building would be moved from its cur-
rent location, and the block would be
used for additional housing, providing a
new front door to this Downtown site. A
small park, central to the new housing
would be built which would be an
amenity for the Tree Streets Neighbor-

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

hood linking the new housing to the 4I
existing neighborhood. The redevelop-

ment of Bronstein Apartments could be

phased and implemented without relo-

cating any of the existing residents.

Millyard Redevelopment
The Millyard represents one of Down-
town's most promising redevelopment
possibilities. The Millyard possesses a
rich mix of industrial buildings and prox-
imity to urban amenities. It is a prime
location to create living-wage jobs along
with loft housing and live/work units.

In addition to rehabilitating the
existing structures, several sites have been

identified for new construction . The

extension of Pine Street and a new loop

Bronstein
Apartments
Illustrative Plan of
Bronstein Apartments

(top)

Proposed view of the
redeveloped Bronstein
Apartments along
Central Street (bottom)

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

road will access these sites and create a
connection to Mine Falls Park. Redevel-
opment of the Millyard will create multi-
ple trail connections between Main
Street and Mine Falls Park.

Courthouse Oval and Other

Street Improvements

The Master Plan recommends several
simple but important changes to the
street system. The original Plan for
Nashua, established by Asher Benjamin
between 1824 and 1827, created a strong
relationship between the Millyard and
Main Street. Factory and Pearl Streets

connected the two areas of Downtown.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Over time, however, that relationship has
eroded. One-way streets, traffic ovals,
and inward-facing development have all
but rendered the Millyards and Main
Street as separate districts.

The Master Plan seeks to re-estab-
lish this direct relationship with revised
street connections and modifications.
Most importantly, the traffic oval around
the County Courthouse should be
removed and replaced with two-way
streets. Two additional development sites
are identified, as well, east and west of
the current Courthouse.

Central Street, Pearl Street, and Fac-
tory Street should also be converted to
two-way streets. (Additional discussion
of one-ways street conversion is found in
the Frameworks section and the Trans-

portation Appendix).

The Center for Nashua Heritage and
Future Technology
The Center for Nashua Heritage and

Future Technology is proposed along
Factory Street. This 40,000 sq..ft.

museum and learning center will become

Illustrative Plan of
Millyard
redevelopment; new
buildings in dark red
(fer te}

The Center for Nashua
Fleritage and Future
Technology, in purple
(ep)

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

a major attraction for Nashua. The
museum will showcase Nashua's strong
industrial heritage as well as provide
interactive areas for learning the new
technologies being developed in the
Region. The recommended site, between.
Factory and Water Street, is a strategic
Downtown site perfect for this facility.
Located less than a block from Main
Street, the museum and learning center
will have a Main Street presence without
occupying valuable Main Street retail
frontage. The building will face both
Factory Street and Water Street. Its front
on Factory Street will help re-establish

Benjamin’s historic axial relationship that

once existed between the Olive Street

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Church and the Millyard. 4B

The facility will benefit from an
existing parking garage located directly
across Factory Street. An additional level
may need to be added to this garage to
accommodate museum visitors as well as
to absorb the loss of parking that cur-
rently exists on the proposed museum
site.

As a “through-block” building, the
museum should provide in its design
open, public access between Water Street
and Factory Street. Another access point
between Le Parc de Notre Renaissance
Francaise and Factory Street will further

aid pedestrian circulation.

Existing Park: Le Pare
de Notre Renaissance
Francaise and Nashua
River

(top)

Proposed Riverfront
West Park on the north
bank of the Nashua
River

(bottom)

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

III R verfront East RIVERFRONT EAST PRESENTS A DIFFERENT experience and
opportunity than Riverfront West. The riverbanks are steeper,
and the river is more narrow. The crashing waterfall of River-

front East contrasts with the tranquility of the wetland pockets

at Riverfront West.

Riverfront East

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

There are, however, similarities. Like 45
Riverfront West, Riverfront East is pro-
posed to become a single place on both
sides of the river with the river as the
focus. The current trails are discontinu-
ous, inaccessible, and perceived as dan-

gerous. Many of the buildings back onto

the river with parking lots, service alleys,

and backyards.

Initiatives

A Library and
Performing Arts Center
B New Temple Street
neighborbood housing
and Riverfront Park

C Riverfront East
Park

D Railroad Square

revitalization

URBAN DESIGN ASSOCIATES

Riverfront East Park

A new riverfront park is proposed along
both sides of the river. The park will be
narrow and linear. It will be active with
trails but not with recreation areas. The
dam and the railroad bridge should be
developed with pedestrian and bike
trails. The trail on the south side of the
Nashua River should be improved with
additional connections to an extended
Park Street and selective clearing of trees

and shrubbery.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

The large parking lot between Canal 46
Street and the Nashua River should be
improved to be more appropriate for a
riverfront and park setting. A parking lot
will remain for BAE Systems and other
businesses along Canal Street and Rail-
road Square. A pedestrian bridge built
atop the existing dam would connect this
parking resource to the south side of the
River - particularly to the proposed Per-
forming Art Center at 14 Court Street.
The parking lot could be shared by park

users on weekends. A trail head for the

Ilustrative Plan of
Riverfront East Park
(top)

Existing section of
north bank of Nashua
River (middle}

Proposed section of
north bank of Nashua

NORTH EAST RMERREEAT SECTION

River (bottom)

NENTH BAST RMERREEAT SECTION | PHorcES

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

park system and regional trail system
should be developed at this location.

The rail right-of-way along the north
side of the Nashua River can be utilized
for a trail connection between the bridge
and Riverfront West park, but can also
be used as a connection between Rail-
road Square and a future commuter rail
station, proposed to be located in the
vicinity of East Hollis Street near the
Merrimack River. This rail line is cur-
rently active (with extremely light use)
providing rail access to towns west of
Nashua. redevelopment of the rail line
and areas around the rail line would have
to be consistent with continued use of
the rail line.

Nashua Public Library and The Per-
forming Arts Center

The Nashua Public Library is a valuable
resource for the City. It is the most active
library in northern New England. As an
important cultural resource, however, it
suffers from inaccessibility and a lack of
defined parking. The Master Plan pro-
poses an extension of Park Street
between 14 Court Street and the Library
along the riverfront to Temple Street.
This new road will provide a common
front door and entry sequence for both
the Library and 14 Court Street, at the
terminus of the Spring Street Institu-
tional and Cultural Spine.

14 Court Street should be redevel-
oped as the proposed Performing Arts
Center. Whereas there are no high qual-
ity facilities for Performing Arts in

Nashua, the nearby cities of Portsmouth,

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Keene, and Manchester have quality ven-
ues for audiences of approximately 850.
There is a market in Nashua for a
400 seat facility. However this size could
increase anywhere from 400 to 1000
seats if justified by the market, commu-
nity interest, funding, and the needs of
performance groups within the City.
The construction of a facility of this
size was analyzed in depth in a previous
Performing Arts Feasibility Study. The
issues surrounding this cultural develop-
ment are discussed in the Market Study
Appendix of this report. The 14 Court
Street location for the Performing Arts
Center is recommended by both the pre-
vious study and this Master Plan, how-
ever, is agreed upon between the
Feasibility Study and this Master Plan,
as an appropriately prominent site within
walking distance of Main Street.

Parking resources will need to be cre-

ated for a new Performing Arts Center.

47

Illustrative Plan of the
proposed street and
plaza between the
Performing Arts Center
and Nashua Public
Library

DESIGN ASSOCIATES

A new parking garage may have to be
built to support this facility. A site along
Spring Street, just south of Temple
Street, is recommended. The BAE Sys-
tems parking lot, located on the north
side of the river should be considered a
parking resource for the Performing Arts
Center. If the dam structure is modified
to contain a pedestrian walk, the BAE
Parking lot will be less than a five minute

walk from the Performing Art Center.

Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Temple Street Neighborhood

The Temple Street neighborhood should
be extended to include new housing along
an extended Park Street. The new housing
would overlook the Riverfront East trail
and park. As Park Street is extended along
the river to Temple Street, a site for a new
100-unit senior/elderly building is pro-
posed. Creating a new riverfront drive will
a great new address and will be an impor-

tant component to improving visibility and

visitability to the park.

48

Iilustrative plan of
Riverfront East
(tep}

Existing section of
south bank of Nashua
River

{middle}

Proposed section of
south bank of Nashua
River

(bottom)

UR EAN DESIGN assocrates Nashua Downtown Master Plan

Existing rail right of 49
way behind Cattleman’s

(top)

Proposed rail right of
way, redevelopment
and trail connection.
(bottom)